It’s important to set yourself up for success when embarking on a new exercise routine.
That means making sure you stretch properly, maintaining adequate hydration, focusing on your nutrition, and getting enough sleep. It’s equally important to start out with the right mindset and ignore the massive amounts of misinformation which can set you on the wrong path and derail your efforts.
Here’s the truth behind four of the most common exercise myths you may have heard.
Myth 1: No pain, no gain
It’s easy to see why this has become a popular “catch-cry” in the fitness industry. If it doesn’t hurt, you must not be pushing yourself hard enough, right?
Wrong. It is normal to feel some burning and muscle fatigue, especially if you are working muscles that haven’t been used for a while. You may also notice some soreness the day after a workout – this is known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. But if you experience a sharp pain, severe pain, or it feels as though tissues are being pulled apart, you may have pushed yourself to the point of injury.
So it would be more correct to say ‘no discomfort, no gain’ but that isn’t as catchy!
Myth 2: If you build muscle and stop exercising, it will turn into fat
This one is simply not true! Muscle and fat are made up of different types of cells, and it’s not possible for one to transform into the other.
If you build muscle mass, and then stop exercising, the muscle cells will gradually decrease in size. If your fat cells are increasing at the same time, it can feel as though your muscle is turning into fat.
Similarly, if you start losing weight through exercise you will often be building muscle at the same time. It may feel as though your fat is turning into muscle, but you are actually reducing the size of your fat cells and increasing the size of your muscle cells.
Myth 3: You can’t lose weight by walking
Walking may not burn as many calories as more intensive forms of exercise, but it does burn calories, so it is a worthwhile inclusion in any weight loss regime.
Varying your walking speed can increase the amount of calories you burn, so using a treadmill can be an excellent way of incorporating movement into your weight loss regime and optimising your calorie burn.
Myth 4: Working out at the gym is better than working out at home
There are many reasons why home workouts are a better option than going to the gym. Perhaps the most obvious one is that it is just too easy to find an excuse to skip the gym!
But when your fitness routine is based on workouts using equipment at home, you always have that visual reminder motivating you to get it done.
We truly believe that hiring home fitness equipment can be a much better option than locking yourself into a gym membership.
If you’ve never considered hiring gym equipment, click here to read six reasons why hiring your own BeFit Hire treadmill, exercise bike, cross-trainer or rowing machine is better than a gym membership any day.
There are many advantages to working out in the comfort of your own home with a rowing machine, treadmill, manual or programmable cross-trainer, or upright or recumbent exercise bike from BeFit Hire. Your local BeFit Hire agent would be more than happy to discuss your specific needs, and help find the perfect piece of home exercise equipment to set you on the path to fitness success
You can also rest easy knowing your BeFit Hire agent has tested, cleaned, and disinfected your hire equipment before it is delivered to your door. We offer free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods and contactless delivery is also available on request.
As a family business operating for more than 50 years, at BeFit Hire we pride ourselves on offering the highest standard of service to every customer. Please get in touch today.
Photos from Shutter Stock
